Time Heals All Burns
by Priestess Aishisu
Summary: Cree has been injured in a fire, and will do anything for revenge. Chad is finished with his current life, and gets apprenticed to an elite fighter who was badly hurt. When these two worlds collide again, what will the outcome be? CreeXChad 3X4
1. Chapter One

Priestess Aishisu: I am never going to get used to writing that. I was Priestess, the fanfiction author. My account was disabled, so fans of my stories will have to get over it. I hope I'm as popular on this new account as I was on my other ones. Since I'm in a bad mood, this isn't the happiest fanfiction. But I'll get over it eventually.

Numbuh One: Nigel Uno, paired with Lizzie and Abigail

Numbuh Two: Hoagie P. Gilligan Jr., paired with Abigail

Numbuh Three: Kuki Sanban, paired with Wallabee

Numbuh Four: Wallabee "Wally" Beadles, paired with Kuki

Numbuh Five: Abigail "Abby" Lincoln, paired with Nigel and Hoagie

The main pairing is Cree/Chad.

* * *

Cree Lincoln bit back a moan of pain as she removed her clothing and lay in the tub. The warm water enveloping her slim frame was a mercy. There had never before been anything she couldn't foresee**—**even if it was unexpected, she always had a back**-**up plan. But even with her psychic abilities, no one had planned for this.

She traced over one of the burns on her right arm (her entire body was covered with them), her slender finger careful not to touch the blistered skin. The marks criss**-**crossed over her once**-**unblemished brown skin and hurt like hell. _She put a tracking devise on me while I was sleeping..._

Cree clenched her fists and teeth, despite the pain. Her sister would pay for this. She didn't care if they were family**—**that bitch would _pay._

* * *

Chad moaned as he lay on the bed. They had lost to the Kids Next Door again and had to do 20,000,000 push**-**ups each. It had been their coach's fault, anyway. He just wasn't capable of preparing for possible difficulties. He never had a Plan B.

_I wonder what that Cree girl's _'_Plan B' was..._Chad shook his head angrily. Why couldn't he stop thinking about that stupid teenager?

_Isn't that just an insult to you?_ His mind quipped maliciously, and he scowled. Teenager or one**-**eyed bass, he just couldn't keep himself from thinking about her. Idly he wondered if all teenagers felt like this (he had only been a teenager for a few months.)

Recently he had tried finding a new job (still against the Kids Next Door, of course) and had applied for what was apparently the best you could get. He didn't know the details, only that the guy lived down the lane of the tree house of the five (in his opinion) **worst** members of the Kids Next Door and that he was supposed to be the mastermind behind all destruction plans of the Kids Next Door. They had been 'very impressed' with his profile, but since a few weeks ago the Kids Next Door had burned down a place where the best adult**-**fighting teens were holding a meeting they weren't able to take on new workers without assessing the damage to the old ones.

* * *

Cree tugged on a red turtleneck and hip**-**hugging jeans and lay back on her bed. It hurt like hell to move, the farthest she could go was the tub and she couldn't use a shower because then she would have to lie down. It had taken weeks to achieve just that much. And she had to get a new wardrobe because she didn't want anybody to see her burns. She was lucky her pretty face hadn't been scarred**—**though nothing else had been left unharmed, not even her neck. And she couldn't touch anything, because the skin had been singed off her fingertips. It hurt to put clothes on, but she refused to go naked.

Since she was psychic, she had never before feared death. She knew what the afterlife looked like, after all. But since the fire, her dreams had been tormented with nightmares about that fire. Death would have been a mercy, but she should be grateful**—**out of the thirty**-**eight elite warriors lucky enough to be in the meeting she alone had survived. But this just made her angrier. Her two best friends were dead. She had seen Sheila's charred, mutilated corpses. She had _heard_ Natalie's scream as she died, watched the flames consume her. If it hadn't been for Natalie, she would have been the dead one.

"I'll kill you, little Abby," she hissed, glaring at the ceiling. "You'll die for this."

* * *

_Ring_**-**_ring_**-**_ring!_

Chad blinked in surprise and rubbed his eyes. He must have dozed off, and now his cell phone was ringing. He flicked it open and put it to his ear. "Yeah?"

The voice that spoke then was a strange one**—**obviously a male voice, the tone was disturbing: severe but dead, polite but cold. "Am I speaking to Chad?"

"Um...yeah. This is him."

"Yes...recently you applied to join my elite team, but we turned you down because we were still assessing the damage. Well, one of my best warriors survived the fire**—**but she isn't in the best shape. When she is healthy, you will be her partner. But I think you should get to know her first**—**she's very stubborn, very talented. She's also quite proud and temperamental, and I believe you should try to get on her better side while she is injured**—**and thus unable to kill you. Will you take the job?"

"Yes!" Chad replied automatically. He didn't care what a dangerous woman this great fighter was, she couldn't be worse than his coach. "Just tell me her name."

"Cree Lincoln."

* * *

"I can't believe it!" Abigail Lincoln, a.k.a. Numbuh Five, shouted. "The entire building burned down, and my pain**-**in**-**the**-**ass sister survived out of thirty**-**eight people!"

"Aw, come on, Numbuh Five," Nigel Uno, a.k.a. Numbuh One, said reasonably. "Thirty**-**seven of the teenagers' thirty**-**eight most elite warriors are out of the way. We should be celebrating, not making a huge deal out of one person."

"She saw this coming!" Abigail insisted. "Grandma always said she had second sight! I'll bet she got out before the place even burned. And here my parents are worried sick! I mean, in a few days I'm sure she'll reappear just to laugh in my face!"

"Numbuh One's right, Numbuh Five," said Hoagie P. Gilligan Junior**—**or Numbuh Two for short. "I mean, you don't **really** want to kill your _sister,_ do you?"

Abigail scowled. "Heck yeah! If she can't get captured and she can't be beaten, what else is there to do?"

"Just try to get along with the cruddy teenager!" snapped an Australian voice. "That or avoid her," it added as an afterthought. It was Wallabee Beadles, a.k.a Numbuh Four. He and Kuki Sanban, a.k.a. Numbuh Three, had just entered the room. They were both blushing and holding hands, though Wally quickly snapped his hand away when Numbuh Two started making kissing noises.

* * *

_She was in the middle of a burning building, the acrid smell alone enough to make her retch. She turned and tried to run, but crackling amber flames shot up in front of her._

_Panic threatened to drown her. She turned, and more flames sprung up. She was surrounded. There were piercing shrieks, and she could see bodies being consumed in flame._

_A door seemed to appear out of nowhere, and she punched it. _"_Help me!"_ _she screamed, the smoke beginning to choke her. _"_Help me!"_

"_Use the window."_ _She turned in surprise, seeing her best friend Natalie. Her beautiful light green eyes were filled with worry, but she said, _"_can you climb us up to the window?"_

_Cree looked up. It would be difficult, but..._

"_Grab my ankle and don't let go."_

_She focused and ridges appeared in the wall. She started climbing up. Flames licked at them, and her clothes started falling off. Tears filled her eyes, but she kept going. There...there..._

"_Natalie, stand on this ridge and push me up. I'll swing over and grab you."_ _Her voice was hoarse, her throat filled with smoke. The pain was becoming unbearable..._

_Natalie obeyed with difficulty, and Cree's fingers touched the edge of the window..._

_She screamed as the metal burned her fingertips, but she swung open and kicked the window. Setting her right foot and left knee on the ledge and trying not to pass out, she reached for Natalie._

_Natalie stretched out, but the flames were too much. She screamed in pain as her foot was burnt off, and she tumbled off of the ridge. Her arm was still stretched towards Cree as her body was engulfed in flame..._

Cree screamed, kicking off the sheets.

She screamed again from the pain of moving and lay back on the pillows. Tears filled her onyx eyes and slipped down her dusky cheeks. Why was she alive? Natalie had saved her. True, the real thing hadn't quite been the same as the dream**—**she wasn't even sure why Natalie had fallen. But it was clear that it was because of the fire. It was a miracle Natalie had survived that long, and a miracle Cree had survived at all.

She had also fallen, the anguish having been too much even for her. She had lain, her skin burnt off, dying, when she had another vision. It was of a beautiful, unearthly goddess. She had touched Cree's cheek and said it wasn't her time to die. When Cree awoke, she had been in a hospital. Yes, that had been it. Despite all her injuries and her inability to do several things (including moving without pain and sleeping without nightmares), she had been much more injured. Her bones weren't broken, and she still had skin despite her scars. And her hair...

Her black dreadlocks had been burnt off her skull, but now it was long and silky and lush like the mysterious goddess's. But it didn't make sense: why had a goddess rescued _her?_ Why not somebody else? Was it because she was psychic? Was that all? No, that couldn't be it. But it had to be _something._ Wasn't her time...did she have some other purpose? She hoped it was to kill Abigail.

Why the heck was her alarm clock communicator ringing? She moaned and rolled over, smacking it with her open palm and biting her lip until it bled to suppress a yelp of pain. **"What?!"** she shouted.

"_You should really do something about that temper,"_ Father's (that's what I'm calling him!) voice replied unperturbedly.

Cree suppressed a moan and said, "Why are you calling? We already agreed I can't destroy the Moonbase right now, I can barely even walk."

"_I'm aware of that fact, Cree. I just wanted to tell you that I have hired you...a partner."_

Cree stared at the alarm clock communicator, sure she had heard him wrong. When he didn't say anything else, she yelled, "A **partner?!** I don't need a **partner!"**

"_Or an apprentice, if you prefer. He ran the Kids Next Door for five years, and has valuable information which he is willing to share. He could be very useful, but he needs training."_

"I don't care if he's the king of Siam, I have enough to deal with at the moment!" Cree snapped angrily. A lamp blew up, the shards of glass flying everywhere. "Find him a teacher who can walk!"

"_I think you've already met."_

Cree scowled. "Then that's a double no! I've hated every guy I've ever met!" She considered, then added, "Well, except that Chad kid, but I only knew him for**—**"

She was interrupted by a rather familiar voice on the other end shouting, "_I'm not a kid! I. Am. A. **Teenager!** How many times do I have to tell people that?"_

Cree gaped wordlessly at the communicator for about a minute, then she muttered, "You've got to be kidding me."

"_It's settled then. You two will...reacquaint yourselves with each other...in three hours."_


	2. Chapter Two

Priestess Aishisu: You know, I should really be more upset. I mean, everything I ever worked for has been flushed down the toilet. When I lost my other profile (which wasn't nearly as good, anyway) I was crying like a baby But, at the same time, I still have Mediaminer.org and Adultfanfiction.net. The last time I lost my profile, I had...nothing. So, I guess, I'm not really that upset. I should be, but I'm not.

However, I am no longer:

1) Replying to reviews. One of my friends got in trouble for doing that

2) Writing Yu**-**Gi**-**Oh fanfiction. There's always a chance I'll slip into writing lemons (I made that mistake with Pharaoh Bakura and Thief Atemu)

I will, however, continue to write Teen Titans. Eventually.

* * *

Chad was a bit nervous as he entered the room (i.e. he was ready to run at the slightest inkling), but tried to remain calm. Cree was sitting on the bed, propped up by pillows, looking very different than she had when he met her.

For one thing, her hair. It had been in dreadlocks when he last saw her, but now it was incredibly long and very silky. It didn't seem burnt, and neither did her face, and her outfit hid most of her. But her hands, laid palm**-**up on her lap, were so burnt and blistered the skin didn't even look like skin. And her expression was strange: she was gazing up with her eyes half**-**lidded, in some sort of trance. When he walked closer, she snapped out of it, and smiled at him.

The smile caught him off**-**guard. She seemed so beautiful he could have doubted she was human, without a trace of either the mysterious staring woman a moment before and even less of the angry snapping woman he had heard over that communication thingy.

"Hello." Her voice didn't sound angry either, and not like it would if you had just been out of a fire.

As if she read his mind, Cree said, "I didn't look like this when I came from the fire**—**well, I was unconscious, so I'm not sure. And my body wasn't as lucky as my face, not to get a scratch."

"That's what I thought," he replied, hating himself for being so jumpy. She was acting perfectly friendly, but maybe she was having mood swings or something. Then he had a thought, and said, "How did you escape from the fire when no one else did?"

She sighed, and a shadow passed over her lovely onyx eyes. "I used the window. My best friend Natalie helped me reach it, but the house was crumbling. My hands got like this getting up there and touching the heated metal, by the way," she remarked, again seeming to read his mind. "I got on the ledge and tried to grab her, but the house crumbled before I could. She tumbled into the flames, and I tumbled out of the window. When I woke up, I was in the hospital." She smiled, but it was a mere twisting of the lips this time. "Not much of a story. My other best friend, Sheila, died too. I saw her burnt corpse for a moment when she died. Then of course it vanished. There was too much fire for it not to."

For a moment, Chad couldn't speak. When he did, his voice was a bit hoarse. "That's awful. Do you know who did it?"

Cree nodded, and suddenly pure outrage filled her face. The change was so sudden and terrifying Chad immediately stepped back. Cree didn't even need to notice as she hissed, "My little sister and her stupid friends."

Chad couldn't help but gawk at her. Then he swallowed, though his throat felt very dry. "Oh," he said dully, realizing that if he were to try to say anything else he would probably cry.

Suddenly the mood vanished, and Cree smiled again. "What about you? Weren't you on that football team?"

"Me?" Chad replied stupidly. Of course him, there was no one else around. "I quit."

Cree lifted an eyebrow in surprise. "Why?"

Chad shrugged. After hearing that story**—**and indeed, it was a story despite its shortness, and maybe the saddest he had ever heard**—**his own reasons seemed insignificant and stupid.

Cree stared at him, and once again he had the impression that she was looking through him. There was a tickling in the back of his mind, and he had the impression that if he could see her pupils they would have dilated. Staring back, he saw that her pretty black eyes were flecked with cerulean. He wondered why he hadn't noticed that before.

But she didn't say a word, and at last she smiled again. "Well, I guess if you don't want to tell me it isn't really my business." She laughed lightly, and he decided that the mood swings were the most likely explanation.

"Well, I better go," he said, turning quickly. "I guess I'll see you later, Cree." She nodded, and he could still feel her enchanting gaze on him long after he had left.

* * *

Cree's eyes snapped open when she heard something. Rising up, she glanced around. Inexplicable fear filled her, and she suddenly felt hysterical. "Who's there?"

For some reason, her mind went to nightmares she used to have as a child of being chased by a shadow woman. The white light of the moon had always scared the creature off, though.

She touched the amulet which her parents claimed she had been born with. It was a moon made of a silver crystal which glimmered in an _aurora borealis_ of different hues. Latin sayings were etched on the back, and she had always felt that the amulet had a life of its own. Somehow, the amulet hadn't melted in the fire.

As soon as she did, words fell from her lips**—**"_O Mater Luna, Regina Nocis, adiuvo me nunc."_ It was a Latin prayer, which she had never learned but for some reason always said in times of great danger. It translated into "Oh Mother Moon, Queen of the Night, protect me now." Cree shuddered. She had said that prayer during the fire.

Suddenly and swiftly, she rolled off the bed**—**sheets and all**—**and covered her head. The bed burst into flames and disintegrated in a moment. Feeling ill, she turned painfully to see a slender woman made of shadows. Was this a dream?

The being lifted a shadowy hand and black fire blazed out. Cree did a painful flip and landed on the other side of the room. "Help!" she cried, her voice feeling choked. She lifted a lamp with her mind and aimed it at the creature, but the creature swatted it away and it crashed against a wall.

The door opened, and Chad stepped in. "Cree?" He then took in the scene**—**the burnt bed, the crushed lamp, Cree slumped against a wall, and the creature advancing on her. "What the**—**?"

"Chad, _run!"_ Cree shrieked, but the warning came too late.

The creature whirled and blasted Chad in the arm. Chad cried out in pain as he crashed into the wall. He gripped his arm and moaned in pain. He could already tell it was broken.

Rage filled Cree, and she rose unsteadily to her feet. The amulet blazed, and shot out white light glittering with pink and purple sparks. It hit the creature, who let out an inhuman roar and stumbled backwards.

Running to Chad despite the obvious pain, she dropped to her knees. "Are you all right?" she asked, thankful that his eyes had been shut so he didn't see her blast the creature.

"Yeah..." he muttered, wincing in pain as he tried to rise up. She cursed her own injuries and the fact that she couldn't help him up without hurting herself. He did, however, help her up with his good arm. "Th**–**Thanks, Cree."

The creature was coming closer, and Cree glanced and Chad. He was staring at the creature, stunned. Then he turned and said, "What is that?"

Cree hesitated, then swiftly reached behind him and hit a sensitive point in the back of his neck. His eyes rolled backwards and he slumped against her.

"Sorry about that," she said softly, laying him back down and being careful not to injure him further. She then turned, filled with fury, to the shadow creature.

The amulet blazed and struck out at it. Once again, the creature stumbled back. Not giving it time to react, she blasted again. And again, and again, and again, and again.

The creature roared in pain and blasted her. She slammed against the wall, slumping next to Chad. The creature dissolved into shadows, but it would be back.

* * *

The slanting rays of the sun hit Chad's eyelids, and he rubbed his eyes with his good arm as he got up. _Why does my neck hurt? Where did the shadowy creature that was attacking Cree go? Cree! Is she**—**_

He turned and gasped slightly. Cree was slumped beside him, and because her nightgown was sleeveless he could see that she wasn't exaggerating when she talked about her burns. Even her neck was scarred, which was probably why she had been wearing a turtleneck. Her feet were bare, and it seemed the soles of her feet had literally burnt off. Worse than the burns was the fact that the strange shadowy creature must have thrown her against the wall as well**—**there was fresh blood dripping from an injury in her head.

Due to his advanced medical (and just about everything else) training, he was able to think quickly despite the unbearable pain in his arm. Running to the sheets next to the pile of ashes that had been a bed, he managed to tear a strip of fabric from one and sprinted back to Cree. Pressing the fabric against Cree's wound, he managed to lift her and carry her to a couch. He tied the fabric in place and ran to the bathroom, hoping beyond hope that there was some ice.

* * *

Abigail scowled at the slab of chocolate. Usually she liked chocolate, but she couldn't enjoy it now. _That _s_tupid bitchy idiotic..._She growled. Her father was grieving over Cree, and her spiteful sister couldn't even be bothered to come and let him know she was all right. Abigail would have liked to tell him, but then she would have had to admit it was _her_ fault the building had been set on fire.

_Either die or show up,_ she thought grumpily, biting into the slab. The luscious taste was wasted on her. More than the rage, there was the curiosity. Her sister was right down the lane (Priestess Aishisu: It's odd that the Kids Next Door actually live next door to the Delightful Children From Down the Lane but they actually live next door from the Kids Next Door. However, I saw that episode with Grandma Stuffums and realized that it was actually possible) from the tree house, but Abigail hadn't seen her since the fire. She knew that Cree couldn't have survived the fire, but maybe she _did_ have some injury or another.

Taking another bite, she glanced out the window. It was odd how the tree house was right next door to a mansion that was right down the lane. She had been in the mansion plenty of times, though it wasn't until a while ago that she realized the Delightful Children and their father weren't the only ones that lived there. Of course, there were over five hundred rooms...

Abigail wondered which of the rooms Cree was in. If she knew, she could just break in and...

_And then what? Fight? Talk? Spy?_

Abigail sighed. Why was life so complicated? She hated her sister, had hated her since she was four, and had never hated her more. But she couldn't help but wish she would come home. Her father was so miserable, it just wasn't fair.

_Doesn't he realize that she deserves to be burned alive? That's what she did to Mom!_

* * *

Cree felt something cold touching her head. Her head felt fuzzy, but she cast out her senses and tried to feel the aura of whoever was there and immediately recognized Chad. She moaned softly, trying to speak.

"Cree?" His voice was so warm and concerned it broke through the haze around her.

Her eyes fluttered open weakly and she tried to rise up, but he used his good hand to push her**—**very gently**—**back on the couch. "You have to rest," he said as he put down the cloth he had been dabbing her head with. "You're hurt."

"So are you," she pointed out, glancing at the cast on his arm. He shrugged, dismissing the cast. "I've had worse injuries," he said lightly. "You're the one who's been unconscious for over a day."

Then something dark crossed his eyes**—**just for a moment**—**and he asked, "What was that thing that attacked you?"

"I don't know," Cree replied truthfully. "But it's been after me all my life, and it calls me Goddess."

"How did you get rid of it?" Chad asked. "If it's been after you so long, it wouldn't just leave. And I doubt you could have fought and defeated it in your condition."

"Well, thanks," she muttered, then sighed. It was no use lying. He deserved to know.

"Turn around." He obeyed, seeming puzzled. "Do you see that vase on the table?" When he nodded, she focused and pictured it rising up. Sure enough, the vase was soon drifting inches above the table. Cree set it back down and watched Chad.

He turned and stared at her in fear and disbelief. When he spoke, it seemed to take effort. "You're a**—**"

"Psychic," Cree said quickly, not wanting him to think he had broken his arm for something evil. "I've had ESP since before I can remember. That was why the lamp was broken. I couldn't have thrown it with my hands, you know."

Chad didn't reply. For an excruciating amount of time, he just continued gawking at her. But he didn't seem afraid anymore. Just stunned. At last he said, "I've heard of psychic powers. I've never believed in them."

It required Cree quite a bit of restraint to keep herself from laughing with relief. "Is that all? Everybody has psychic powers. Most people just don't know how to use them."

This information seemed to please him. "Even me?"

Cree nodded. "Even you. I can teach you how to use your powers," she offered. "After all, it's the least I can do after you put yourself in danger saving my life."

Chad's eyes lit up. "Really? Would you?"

This time Cree did laugh. "Yeah. We can start right now.


	3. Chapter Three

Priestess Aishisu: One review. One stinking review. Excuse me for being pissed, but I was incredibly popular as Priestess and not being reviewed just kind of ticks me off. Huge thanks to bizarro4!

* * *

"_Cree."_

_The goddess kneeled beside Cree, dressed in a sleeveless gown of flowing white satin. The moon reflected on her beautiful face and her long silken hair. Her skin shimmered brown and pink in the flames, her eyes were cerulean, and she seemed to shimmer with moonlight. Because of the mixed lights, it was impossible to see clearly._

"_You're still alive. Thank god."_

_She touched Cree's melted amulet, and immediately it was returned to its former magnificence. In an unearthly beautiful voice, she murmured, _"_It isn't your time to die yet."_

_Cree lost consciousness._

* * *

Cree and Chad's minds split apart, and they both gasped for breath.

"That...was...incredible," breathed Chad, gazing at Cree with evident admiration. "You have any idea who the goddess was? She was so beautiful..."

Cree gave Chad an irritated glance, and felt something inside her twist with jealousy. Then she gazed out of the window and sighed sadly, making Chad give her a funny look.

"What's wrong, Cree?"

"It's been six years since it was a full moon on July third," she remarked idly, and sighed once more. "When I was eight, on a full moon, July third, that creature came after me while I was with my mother. My mother jumped in front of me to shield me from a blast, and the flames burned her alive. Abigail**—**she was only four**—**saw. She's hated me ever since."

Chad stared at her. Just when he thought he couldn't pity her more..."I don't want pity," said Cree softly, obviously having heard what he said. Then her eyes narrowed slightly. "The shadow woman...why is she outside of the tree house?"

Chad, being the quick thinker that he was, had an immediate suggestion**—**"Trying to find out about you by sucking your sister's mind out?" Then he realized how stupid that sounded, but Cree didn't seem to think so.

"I have to stop him," she said, trying to get of the couch.

"No way," he snapped, pushing her back down with his good arm. "You can barely even _walk._ There is no way you're fighting that thing. Anyway, what does she know? If you're so worried, I'll go fight that thing."

"Are you crazy?" Cree snapped, then sighed slightly and focused on something as she got back up. Chad blinked as a very small box probably used to hold jewelry drifted over and snapped open.

There was a ring lying on the rich padding, made of what seemed to be pure silver. He picked it up, fascinated. There seemed to be inscriptions on the inside. "Oh ma**–**tear loon**-**ah...I can't read this, but I think it's Latin."

Cree used her abilities to slip it onto his finger, and he stared at her in puzzlement. She smiled, but there was a depth of grief in her smile. "It's a ring of protection," she explained, still with that sad smile. "It can guard you if I die."

Chad nodded, but he still didn't understand. "Why would you die? I know that creature is after you, but..." he trailed off, suddenly feeling very frightened.

Cree stared into his eyes, and the blue flecks seemed to stand out. Suddenly she rose up onto her toes and kissed him gently but very passionately on the lips.

When she broke away, they were both flushed and breathless.

"C**–**Cree, w**–**what**—**?" He stared at Cree, and was startled to see tears in her extraordinary eyes. Her lovely face, however, was filled with grim determination.

"Six years ago on a full moon, that creature killed my mother," Cree said in a peculiar, resolute voice. Her voice and expression were a sharp contrast to her tear**-**filled eyes. "Today I'm going to return the favor."

"**What?!** Cree, that's insanity! You could die!"

Cree sighed, but her expression didn't change. "I know I could, but that's a risk I'm willing to take. But just in case, I just wanted you to know that...I love you."

She smiled again, that same poignant smile. "Good**-**bye, Chad. I don't know if I'll see you again, but I hope I will. If I die, you'll still be able to see my face in the moon."

Then her molecules dissolved, and she vanished into dust of diamonds.

Chad fell to his knees and sobbed.

* * *

"Numbuh Five, _why_ do you hate your sister so much?" Nigel asked. "I mean, I know she's a teenager, but I think you're going overboard. Numbuh Five? Are you even listening to me?"

She wasn't. The Spanish/Asian/African American girl was staring out the window. But eventually Numbuhs' 1**–**4 had badgered her enough that she whirled around and snapped, "Exactly six years ago to date on a full moon Cree got attacked by some shadow creature her psychic powers must have created and Numbuh Five's ma defended her. She was burned alive. It's Cree's fault, so she deserves to be burned alive too! Now quit badgering Numbuh Five!" This said, she turned to glare out the window again and her jaw dropped.

Numbuhs 1**–**4 glanced at each other, not seeing Abigail's stunned expression. Everybody pointed at Hoagie, and he groaned and timidly tapped Abigail on the shoulder.

"Come on, Numbuh Five. I really doubt there's a such thing as a**—**" his jaw dropped and he motioned to the others, with a frightened little squeak: "Shadow...creature..."

* * *

"Where are you going?"

The shadow creature turned and watched with feral eyes as a glimmering light drifted downward, taking shape. In moments, Cree Lincoln was recognizable.

She drifted a few inches off the ground, radiant under the light of the full moon, seeming like a goddess in the sleeveless white satin sleeping gown. Her expression was one of fearless determination.

"Goddess...you're here."

Cree's eyes narrowed. "Every spirit that's ever visited me has called me that. _Tu es_ _dea, Filia Lunae._ That was the only explanation I ever got. That I was a 'Daughter of the Moon.' Why do they call me that? Why have you been after me all my life, and why did you kill my mother?"

"You are _Lecta_**—**the Chosen One. You are the one who can tip the balance between darkness and light, and darkness knows that your heart is pure. I was sent to destroy you, and I thought I had succeeded. You died in the fire! How did you save yourself? How did you survive, Goddess? How can you live when you were dead?"

Cree's jaw set, the amulet beginning to shimmer. "I don't _know_ how I survived. But I know one thing**—**you won't be so lucky!"

Blazing light fired from the amulet, and the creature did a graceful flip to dodge it. It/she aimed a kick at Cree's head, but Cree did a flip as well and used her power to levitate just before she hit the ground.

Without giving the creature time to react, she flipped back and landed a kick. Unfortunately, she was hurt as much as the shadow woman. However, she didn't show this and instead flipped back and landed on her feet (still not touching the ground.)

"Is that the best you got?" she taunted, feeling stronger than she had in almost two months. She really _was_ a daughter of the moon**—**she always felt strongest when the moon was full. She wondered if she would survive this. Maybe she might.

* * *

"What are we gunnu do? What are we gunnu do? What are we gunnu **do-ooh?"** wailed Nigel, panicking. Abigail grabbed him by the collar and slapped both his cheeks.

"Snap out of it and get Numbuh Five a big mirror," she snapped.

"Huh?" Nigel replied stupidly.

"The only thing which can beat that monster is moonlight. Now get the mirror!"

The Kids Next Door sprinted out of the room to find the hugest mirror in the tree house.

* * *

Chad gasped for air, bracing his hands on his knees. _That's the last time I run all the way up hear right after crying my eyes out,_ he thought ruefully, and glanced up.

Cree was fighting the shadow creature, and was holding out better than he had expected. Though he knew it must have pained her whenever she made contact with her, she didn't show it. And her movements were so skillful, so fluid...

If the scars hadn't been so obvious in that nightdress, you would never have suspected she had nearly died. In fact, you might not have believed she was even human.

He had seen those moves before...suddenly he remembered.

_Numbuh Eleven..._

Numbuh Eleven had been the best fighter in the Kids Next Door. When he was twelve, she had been scheduled for decommissioning. Unfortunately, no one could hold her long enough to either tie her up**—**actually decommissioning her would be a miracle. He had been sent to get her, and had been awed by her skills. She had been a slim, graceful African American with dreadlocks and she had beaten him in less then a second without even using a weapon.

So she got away.

* * *

"All right," said Nigel in a puzzled but serious voice. "We have angled the mirror correctly. One tiny push and that creature will be bombarded in moonlight. Should we push it now?"

"No," replied Abigail, watching her sister from under her red cap. Her dark eyes were focused and calculating, and she didn't seem at all fazed by the fact that her sister was flying in the air and fighting a shadow creature and light was shooting from her fists the amulet her mother had given her when she was born. "We have to wait until the time is right."

"We'll be grandparents by then!"

"Shut up."

* * *

Cree dodged a blast of black fire and shot white light from her palm. Her training had never come in handy more, not even in the fire. The pain of fighting in her condition was unbearable, but as long as she didn't lose her focus...

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a familiar figure a few feet down (she wasn't that much above the ground, just a few feet as I said) and about eleven feet behind her and gasped.

"Chad?"

Taking advantage of the momentary breach in her defenses, the shadow creature blasted her right in the stomach and she tumbled, hitting the ground and being pushed backwards about seven feet. Abigail seemed to think this was when the time was right, and the Kids Next Door focused the light of the moon on the creature.

"Cree!" Chad cried, sprinting forward and plunging to his knees beside her. He touched her arm and tried his best to use the healing powers she had showed him. According to her, that should be his strong point (she claimed she could see abilities through auras.)

Cree's eyes opened, and she smiled weakly at him. "You came," she murmured as he helped her up. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

"Did you really think I was going to let you go that easily?" he asked with a tiny smile. "If you're really going to fight this thing, I'm going to help you."

"Are you crazy?" she snapped.

"Hmm..." he pretended to think. "Well, I'm about to risk my life for a goddess who happens to scare me out of my wits at least half the time and has the most incredible powers in the world, but also can barely stand without help. So yeah, I guess so."

Cree's lips twitched into a half**-**smile, and she lifted an eyebrow at him before sighing in acquiescence. "Fine," she groaned, then muttered, "Stubborn ass."

This only made him laugh.

* * *

The Kids Next Door gripped the mirror tightly as the shadow creature tried to blast through the moonlight. They didn't realize what they were really doing—They weren't weakening the creature, but they _were_ distracting it.

"Come on!" screamed Abigail. "Keep trying! This has to work!"

The creature laughed. "Do you **children** believe you and your magical item can beat me? You can't!"

"They can't," murmured Cree.

"But we can," finished Chad.

Before anybody could react, their energies fused. A stream of purple light blazed out, striking the creature and taking it by surprise. The creature tripped back, then laughed and shot out its power.

The attacks met, both burning and sparkling as they struggled against each other. Cree turned her head to the Kids Next Door and yelled, "Point it at me!"

The Kids Next Door (who had been struggling to hold up the mirror) stared at her, surprised.

**"Do it!!"** Cree shouted, and they immediately complied.

As soon as the light hit Cree, it amplified by a million. Molten silver danced through her, her eyes blazed cerulean. She didn't even seem like Cree anymore.

When she lifted her arms, the light from the moon (not the reflected light from the mirror) streamed down as well. She pointed it at the creature and sent the light soaring at its chest.

The creature screamed, trying to fight back. A few more moments and it would be dead. Cree suddenly caught sight of herself in the mirror and gasped.

Knowing it would die anyway, the creature sent all its energy at Cree and she fell backwards. Chad sprinted towards her, but she didn't move. The creature laughed, and he clenched his teeth. Blue light gushed from his fist, hitting the creature. Cree had wounded it too much**—**it uttered a final shriek and died.

* * *

The Kids Next Door were frozen for a moment, then Abigail sprinted towards Cree and fell to her knee beside Chad. "Sis!" she cried. "Wake up!"

Cree shook her head. "I'm already dead, Abigail." Her voice didn't sound like hers. She turned her head to Abigail and Abigail was startled to see tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry about Mom," she whispered, and gazed up. "There's one more thing I must do."

* * *

The fire was blazing as the building crumbled, and a limp form fell to the ground. It was burnt and mutilated beyond recognition, but its face was still recognizable. As Chad and the Kids Next Door watched, a shining spirit form of Cree rose from the limp body in Chad's arm and walked towards the body on the ground.

She kneeled and said something they couldn't hear, touching the molten lump of silver on the body's chest. The lump glimmered, and the body became recognizable again.

"It isn't your time to die yet," the spirit Cree murmured, rising up. "But it is mine."

She shut her eyes and she as well as the strange world vanished, leaving the tree house. The body in Chad's arms went cold.

* * *

Priestess Aishisu: Waahh!! All right, if you didn't notice:

1) Cree was the goddess

2) The monster is dead

3) Cree is dead


	4. Chapter Four

Priestess Aishisu: I should really just cancel this fanfiction. No one's reading it anyway. I was going to make this really long, but since I just got **one** review for three chapters, this is the last one. You heard me**—**this is going to have four chapters. So deal with it :P

* * *

No one spoke. No one knew how long they had been kneeling there, staring at the corpse in Chad's arms. It seemed so serene, lying there, it didn't seem dead at all. The scars stood out sharply against the chocolate skin, but the face was peaceful and perfect.

At last, Hoagie whispered, "Is she...dead?"

Chad nodded, tears beginning to fill his eyes. Cree's skin felt stunningly frigid against his flesh, while her lips had felt very warm when she had kissed him. The amulet which had been glimmering so brightly was dull and dead. How could see be dead? They had been fighting together, she had been pulsing with energy, and suddenly she had seen something in the mirror and...

A single tear hit the amulet, and suddenly the silver crystal blazed to life. Everybody gasped as the light spread gently through Cree's dead body. Each scar shimmered and vanished, and slowly the light pulled in and returned to the amulet.

Everybody held their breath, and even the chirping grasshoppers were silenced as everybody watched Cree. For a moment, the night seemed to stand still.

Then Cree's eyes fluttered open.

"Cree!" cried Chad, hugging her so tight she probably couldn't breathe. "You're alive, you're alive, you're alive, you're alive, you're alive, you're alive, you're a**–**_liiiiiiiiiiiivee!!"_

She made choked sounds, and he let go of her immediately. "Um, what's going on?" she muttered as she rose up, and gasped when she realized her hand had touched the ground and it hadn't hurt.

He got up and said, "I'm not really sure**—**let's see...you were alive, then you were going to die, then you were alive, then you were dying, then you were dead, now you're alive...what did happen?"

Cree paused and gasped, remembering. "Chad**—**I was the goddess! The woman who healed me**—**that was me, from the future...well, I guess it's now the past again." She frowned, touching her forehead as if she had a headache. "I'm confused."

"Uh...Sis?"

Cree glanced down in surprise at the sound of her sister's voice, and from her expression it seemed as if she hadn't remembered the Kids Next Door where even there. "Yes?"

Abigail smiled a little sheepishly, but her eyes were very bright. "Numbuh Five forgives yah, Sis."

Cree smiled also, but suddenly her eyes rolled back and she crumpled against Chad. He panicked for less than a second**—**he could feel her heart beating against his chest.

"Sleep well, goddess," he whispered, touching her hair and turning to leave.

"Wait," said Abigail, and Chad turned again. This time, there was no sheepishness in her smile. "You better take care of Numbuh Five's sister, or Numbuh Five gunnu kick your butt."

"Don't worry," said Chad with a tiny smile. "I'll take care of her."

* * *

"Abigail, do you _really_ expect me to believe that?" sighed her father, shaking his head at his daughter's story. It was just as ridiculous as a four**-**year**-**old Abigail's teary claim that Cree killed her mother.

"It's the truth!" cried Abigail defensively. "Numbuh Five even has a strand of Cree's hair to prove Numbuh Five's telling the truth!" She held up the long black hair.

Her father sighed again, sounding old and tired. The Bill Cosby**-**clone had seemed to lose his will to live when he lost Cree, and seemed to be sighing like that a lot lately.

"That's _your_ hair, Abigail. Cree's hair was _never_ that long."

Abigail ground her teeth in frustration, not even speaking in third person. "I told you, Cree's hair grew like four feet when she was healed by herself after the fire! Haven't you been listening?"

Her father didn't even reply.

* * *

"What did you pack in these things, boulders?" Chad whined as they walked up to the door, carrying suitcases. Very **heavy** suitcases, I might mention.

"Big baby," muttered Cree, rolling her eyes. Then she turned away from Chad and stared at the lock. There was a nearly imperceptible _click_ and the door swung open.

Tentatively, Cree stepped in. "Dad?" she called. "Abigail?"

The next thing she knew, she was being half**-**crushed by hugs and relieved cries from both her sister and father. "Can't...breathe. Too...much...love..." She groaned in relief as they let go and slumped against the wall, gasping for breath.

"Well, hello, son!" said her father to Chad, suddenly bright and chipper again now that he knew Cree was alive. He stuck out his hand with a disturbingly huge grin. "Who are you?"

"I'm Chad," he replied, shaking the hand and glancing at Cree uncertainly. _You have a weird family,_ he said mentally, wondering if she would be able to hear it.

_Tell me about it,_ Cree replied with a roll of her still**-**cerulean eyes. So she _had_ heard. He wondered if it was unreasonable to feel this pleased with himself.

"Well, Chad, thanks for helping my daughter. I think it's about time she got herself a boyfriend!"

**"Dad!"** Cree shrieked, her cheeks turning red. Chad suppressed a giggle as she pounded her dad until he ran right out of the hallway. _I am **so** glad she couldn't do that to me._

"Ugh," muttered Cree, glaring at the door her dad had sprinted out of. "That's worse than the time he told Abigail's friends I had a bra and they thought it was a weapon and tried to wear it."

Chad cracked up, but she silenced him with a glare.

* * *

"There," grunted Chad, dropping the suitcase onto Cree's bed. It was a nice bed, all light blue. The entire room was light blue and lilac purple. "I think that's the last of them."

Cree chuckled with amusement. "Um...Chad?" she murmured, feeling uncharacteristically timid because she didn't usually say what she was about to say.

"Yeah?" he said, turning to her questioningly. She was _so_ adorable when she was shy. He forced himself not to blush at the thought. Wasn't he allowed to admire his girlfriend?

"Um...thank you."

"For what?" he replied, pretending to be puzzled.

"Y**–**You know what," she sputtered, clearly not sure whether to be embarrassed or angry. She didn't bother to brush away the hair that had fallen in her eye.

"_O_**-**oh. You mean saving your life twice, breaking my arm for you, helping you get home, and helping you with your bags despite the fact that I only have one usable arm?"

"Well, what did you think I meant?!" she cried, her expression priceless and her dusky cheeks tinged pink. He almost laughed at this**—**the great Cree was blushing!****

However, he chose to refrain for the sake of his personal health and reached out with his good hand to tuck the stray hair behind her ear, which only served to make Cree blush harder.

He smiled at her and traced the curve of her cheek with his knuckle. "It's all right," he said. "You don't have to thank me. After all, time heals all burns."


End file.
